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Quick – name the country where Samarkand is located? Yep -it’s a tough one and a trip to an Uzbek restaurant is probably as close as I am ever likely to get to Uzbekistan. So last week our London food blog made the trip to Smarkand – the newly opened Uzbek restaurant – in Fitzrovia – and it was a very fine time. Let me take you there too. The beautiful Samarkand claims to be the birthplace of Astronomy Reached through an enchanting foyer of wonderful blue, the restaurant is beautifully appointed with glazed tiles, hand carved wooden columns, twinkly star lights (Samarkand claims to be the ..read more

Opposite Blackfriars tube station stands the Crowne Plaza hotel built upon the spot once occupied by the infamous Bridewell prison. At basement level we find the Voltaire Bar. In a cunning twist the adjacent vaults under the pavement have been transformed into private snugs where a group can take cocktails plus cigars to share along with a bite from the lively burger menu. Georgeous Décor At 7 pm we found the place relaxed despite the downbeat dance-music playing in the background. Décor is Phillipe Starck goes clubbing and the result is oversized furniture, curious lights & fittings ..read more

When it comes to choosing a London restaurant, the City is full of choices. Admittedly they are typically at the higher price point, but the 300,000 people commuting to the square-mile have got to spend their hard-earned cash somewhere. Our food blog loves the City and we’ve regularly frequented the Hawksmore and Duck and Waffle (which remains one of our all-time favorites). So when we were invited to Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse City restaurant, the bar was high. An award-winning traditional steakhouse The London Steakhouse City bills itself as, “an award-winning traditional steakh ..read more

On the corner of Farringdon road and Charterhouse – a corner of London that recently housed the Fabric nightclub – we find the Vivat Bacchus – Farringdon location. An unassuming sandstone building houses this eatery with an interior décor of warehouse-chic – girders, exposed ducting, dark wood & brick – all make for a nice edgy ambience. While it was a little noisy – it had a good buzz as early as 6pm. Positioning itself as an unapologetic haven for meat, wine fans, it also boasts a refrigerated cheese room with contents on display. I asked for a quick tour of this before dinner and was ..read more

While GLC’s raison d’etre has been and always will been to be a London food blog, wine does of course play a major supporting role. So, when we were invited to last week’s Blend with Bordeaux workshop run by Vins de Bordeaux at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we were there quicker than you can say “Cabernet Sauvignon”. The Blend with Bordeaux workshop As any oenophile will tell you, the Bordeaux region is split into Left and Right Banks, the bit in the middle being the Gironde estuary. The Left Bank is characterised by stony soil, great for abosrbing heat by day and radiating it back up to th ..read more

“I really believe food can prevent wars – imagine if people just sat down and ate a meal together – do you think they would end up fighting?” No matter if you agree with these words – spoken to me today at lunch down in the borough market by chef Patrick Williams – they give you a sense of the passion and energy this big man has for the subject of food. Patrick Williams at his Eat Soul Food stall Patrick used to present Saturday Kitchen, has trained under Marco Pierre White, worked at the OXO Tower and Ivy and subsequently opened The Terrace restaurant in central London. But I was on a ..read more

So I’ll let you into a secret; I’m not usually the biggest fan of hotel restaurants. I’m never quite able to make the separation between somewhere you sleep and somewhere you eat. Even with separate entrances, I can’t get over the fact that unless you have the lure of a celebrity-chef like Heston Blumental’s Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental, why would you choose a hotel-restaurant? Especially when London’s foodie scene has virtually every whim catered for? What makes a great dining experience? For me, the key ingredients of a great dining experience are: the location, the ambiance, the foo ..read more